The deferral comes as the New Orleans Black Chamber of Commerce argues that one of the proposed reforms, intended to curb the politicians' discretion in granting contracts, would hurt small and minority-owned businesses. The Bureau of Governmental Research, however, said the chamber's concerns could be addressed by including minority participation as part of the criteria used to score offers from vendors.

UPDATE: As expected, the council has voted to postpone the vote on contracting reforms.

Stay tuned to Nola.com and follow Torres on Twitter, at @1manueltorres, for the latest.